8. Chapter 8
Jake
Her hand was soft and warm, and I liked it a lot.
That was the only thought in my head as she dragged me out to the parking lot.
Forgotten was the deep-set scowl of her brother, replaced by the trailing scent of her instead. Marshmallows and vanilla. I was in some kind of dream state.
Until she let my hand go.
Cool air ghosted over where her fingers had linked with mine, and I held myself back from grasping her hand again.
“Sorry,” she panted, chest heaving. “That wasn’t fair to you. Nate just doesn’t know when to let me live my own life. I love him, but he’s incredibly protective.”
I’d never had a sibling to relate to that sentiment, or parents enough to give a shit about my life, but I wanted to be there for her.
I just felt unqualified. As for Nate’s comments, I figured something like this would happen after I realized Seren was my coffee girl, but damn, we’d be having a conversation at some point. “It’s all good. Are you okay now?”
She nodded weakly. “I didn’t mean to drag you into it, really. You don’t have to follow me anymore.”
“Okay,” I said, mulling that over. “But what if I want to?”
Her sea-glass eyes widened as they captured mine. “I, uh, should probably get to daycare to collect Cai anyway.”
“Then I can drive you.”
There wasn’t an obstacle of needing a car seat for Cai this time.
Her lips parted, then closed as her eyes held me completely at her mercy. “I don’t know if that’s a good idea.”
“I think it’s a great idea. It’s just a ride.”
A breath slipped out of her, and the sound was something I liked way too much.
“Okay,” she said, like she was conceding to something much bigger.
I tried not to look too pleased with myself as I opened the passenger door for her, waiting until she climbed in before rounding the front and sliding behind the wheel.
The sun cut through the windshield, warming the inside of the cab.
“So,” I said, keeping my tone easy. “Daycare pickup. Where am I going?”
“It’s over on Grant Street, near the coffee shop.”
Her stomach grumbled loud enough that her hand covered it. I glanced at the clock, and it read four-twenty. I wanted this short drive to last longer than ten minutes. “Do you have time to grab a hot dog with me first? There’s a great truck nearby there.”
Her head tilted toward me, eyes pinched. “You should ignore my stomach. I’ll be fine.”
“No chance. Besides, I’m hungry, and I don’t have a full afternoon of running around after a toddler. Consider this fuel for you.”
“I thought it was just a ride?”
“It is,” I said easily, pulling out of the lot like I hadn’t just completely shifted the terms. “I’m just suggesting we slightly improve the ride. Let me feed you.”
I looked over to her, and she bit that plump bottom lip. God, I was desperate to free it. “You’re way too smooth for me, Jake Ledger. And here I am, the least cool person in every room.” She muttered something that I missed, but I didn’t like that she thought that way about herself at all.
“That’s not accurate. You’re very cool.”
She snorted, but I could tell it was at her own expense. “Not even a little bit.”
“Don’t you think you’re being hard on yourself?”
Her eyes flicked to me, like she wasn’t used to someone pushing back on that.
“Oh, I definitely am. My imposter brain likes to tell me that. Especially when, half the time, I’m running on about three hours of sleep, and am covered in remnants of Cai’s snacks.
And then there’s Nate…trying to interfere in things he doesn’t need to interfere in.
” Her hands slap into her lap. “And now, here I am with a gorgeous guy, rambling about crap you don’t need to hear. ”
As much as my ego wanted to capitalize on the fact that she thought I was gorgeous, I knew there was more going on here. “Sounds like you’ve got a lot on your plate.”
She huffed a quiet laugh, shaking her head. “This was a bad idea.”
No, no, we weren’t going to back track. “Forget all that for a minute,” I said, and then, more honest than I planned, “I don’t like hearing you talk about yourself that way.”
That seemed to catch her off guard, her expression softening as she looked at me.
I think maybe I’d struck a nerve, and was about to apologize, but apparently, I had more to say.
“How about you think about the ways in which you are doing an amazing job. Cai’s being raised by a mom who loves him and can show him how hard she works.
That’s pretty fucking cool if you ask me.
” It was way more than I got growing up, that’s for sure.
“You don’t even know me,” she whispered so quietly I barely caught it.
“Yeah,” I said, glancing over at her for a second. “And I still think you’re awesome. Imagine how convinced I’ll be once I’ve got more material to work with.”
Her lips pressed together, trying to hide a smile and failing. “How are you planning on getting that material, Jake?”
I hummed like I was giving it serious thought, even though I’d already decided about five minutes ago.
“Consistent research,” I said. “Very hands on.”
Her throat bobbed with a swallow. “Hands on me?”
I coughed, begging my brain to stop with the slideshow of my hands all over her. “Listen, that’s an ideal situation, but I was thinking we could friend-date. For now.”
“Friend-date.”
“Yeah,” I said, like it was a completely normal, widely accepted concept. “Low commitment, zero pressure, high-quality company.”
“That sounds suspiciously like regular dating,” she replied, folding her arms loosely but not shutting me down.
“Key difference,” I said, holding up a finger. “No expectations. You’ve got enough on your plate. I’m not about to add to it.”
Her gaze lingered on me, searching, like she was trying to find the catch.
“And what do you get out of this?” she asked.
I glanced over at her, letting my answer sit in the space between us before I said it. “Time with you.”
As I pulled up to the corner of Grant Street, I turned to face her, clocking the pull of her eyebrows.
“Jake, come on, you can’t want to spend time with me.
I can’t offer you anything. My life is rugby and my son.
Not to mention, a lot of other things that wouldn’t work.
” She looked away first, like that was too much to take head-on, her fingers tightening slightly where they rested in her lap.
As much as I’d been pushing this—teasing, convincing, finding an angle to keep her here a little longer—there was a quieter thought settling in underneath it now, one I hadn’t expected to hit this early.
She thought she didn’t have anything to offer. I knew because I’d felt that more than I’d ever admit in my life. And all I could think was that maybe she was exactly the kind of person I wanted to be around, even just to convince her otherwise.
“I can handle your brother, if that’s what you’re worried about. His grumpy ass just needs time to adjust. Besides, you and I are friend-dating.”
I wasn’t ready to give this up, so I hoped I was selling it to her.
“You flirt with all your friends, then?” Her eyes twinkled a little, and I ate that shit up.
“Oh yeah, all the time. Nate especially loves it when I sweet talk him. Connor needs a little more warming up, though; he’s only got eyes for Teddy. But all my friendships are built on borderline inappropriate boundaries.”
She rolled her eyes, but it was laced with humor. Her head lolled back on the headrest as her eyes closed. “I can’t believe I’m doing this.”
Relief and happiness swirled in my chest. “Is that a yes?”
“Lord help me,” she murmured. “Yes, I’ll be your friend.”
I’d take it.